1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement in a seat designed to pivot between a forward-facing position and a rear-facing position.
2. Description of the Related Art
Known seats for vehicles such as vans, buses, trains are pivoted between forward-facing positions and rear-facing positions. Such seats are known from Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 11-5474 entitled xe2x80x9cSEAT APPARATUS PIVOTABLE TO CHANGE DIRECTION IN WHICH PERSON SITTING THEREON FACESxe2x80x9d.
FIG. 13A and FIG. 13B hereof are side elevational views of a seat apparatus 100 disclosed in the publication.
As shown in FIG. 13A, the seat apparatus 100 is held in a forward-facing position where a person sits thereon facing forwardly. The seat apparatus 100 includes a base 101, a seat cushion portion 105, and a seat back portion 106. The seat cushion portion 105 is laid while the seat back portion 106 is erected. The base 101 has a link arm 103 pivotally attached thereto. The link arm 103 is pivotable on a pivotal shaft 102 between a laid position and an erected position. The link arm 103 has its end portion mounted to the seat cushion portion 105. The seat cushion portion 105 is pivotable on a pivot shaft 104 between a laid position and an erected position. The seat back portion 106 is attached to the base 101 in such a manner as to pivot on the pivotal shaft 102 between a laid position and an erected position. The seat back portion 106 has a headrest 107 detachably mounted thereto.
When the seat back portion 106 is backwardly pivoted to the laid position and the headrest 107 is detached from the seat back portion 106, the seat apparatus 100 can be brought to a lying position. In this position, both the seat cushion portion 105 and the seat back portion 106 are substantially horizontally disposed.
Then, the link arm 103 is upwardly pivoted to thereby bring the seat cushion 105 to the erected position with the seat back portion 106 held in the laid position. The seat apparatus 100 can thus be in a rear-facing position, so that a person sits thereon facing rearwardly.
The seat apparatus 100 as shown in FIG. 13A can also be brought to an upright position in which the seat cushion portion 105 and the seat back portion 106 are in the erected positions. This can be done by turning the seat cushion portion 105 to the erected position with the seat back portion 106 held in the erected position. As can be seen from the foregoing, the seat apparatus 100 can be brought to any one of the aforementioned four positions: (1) the forward-facing position, (2) the lying position, (3) the rear-facing position, and (4) the upright position.
For known vehicle including such a seat apparatus, a back seat is typically provided. The back seat is positioned behind the seat apparatus. If the seat back portion 106 is designed to pivot forwardly to a horizontal position, a person sitting on the back seat will be able to use the thus horizontally disposed seat back portion 106 as a table.
For the seat apparatus 100, however, a front lower part of the seat back portion 106 inevitably abuts on a rear upper part of the seat cushion portion 105, as shown in FIG. 13B, when the seat back portion 106 is forwardly turned or pivoted on the shaft 102. With the front lower part abutted on the rear upper part, the seat back portion 106 can not pivot further forwardly. Consequently, the seat back portion 106 thus arranged can not serve as a table.
An object of the present invention is to provide a seat including a seat cushion pivotable between a laid position and an erected position, and a seat back pivotable between a laid position and an erected position, such that the seat not only can be in any one of a forward-facing position, a lying position, a rear-facing position, and an upright position, but it can also be held in a folded position where the seat back lies on the seat cushion for use as a table.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a seat comprising: a seat supporting carrier; a seat cushion mounted on the seat supporting carrier in such a manner as to pivot on a first pivot axis between an erected position and a laid position; a swing arm mounted on the seat supporting carrier in such a manner as to pivot on a second pivot axis between an erected position and a laid position; and a seat back mounted on the swing arm in such a manner as to pivot on a third pivot axis between an erected position and a laid position.
In a preferred form of the present invention, the second pivot axis is positioned higher than the first pivot axis.
Preferably, the third pivot axis is positioned higher than the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis when the seat back is in the erected position and the seat cushion is in the laid position.
In a further preferred form of the present invention, the seat back, by pivoting from the erected position to the laid position, lies on the seat cushion.
The third pivot axis is positioned higher than the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis when the seat back is in the erected position and the seat cushion is in the laid position. This arrangement allows the seat back to pivot forwardly to the laid position. In this position, the seat back lies on the seat cushion. This arrangement has the advantage that a back surface portion of the lain seat back serves as a table on which cups, books, luggage and the like can be placed. If another seat (back seat) is provided behind the seat of the present invention, a person to sit on the former will use the back surface portion as a table. It will be appreciated that the seat of the present invention can be in any one of a forward-facing position, a lying position, a rear-facing position, and an upright position, as is conventional.
In a still further preferred form of the present invention, the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis are disposed in substantially vertical alignment when viewed in side elevation.
The seat extends in a front-and-rear direction thereof to a smaller extent than it would do if the first pivot axis were not vertically aligned with the second pivot axis.
In a yet further preferred form of the present invention, the seat back has a back surface portion on which a substantially flat sheet member is provided.
Because the seat back is in the laid position, the sheet member is horizontally disposed. The sheet member thus horizontally disposed serves as a table. The back surface portion provided with the sheet member has an increased rigidity. The sheet member supports cushion material of the seat back. The seat back thus arranged functions as a backrest. The sheet member for use as a table is sufficiently rigid to be loaded with luggage.
In a still further preferred form of the present invention, each of the seat back and the seat cushion has mounting portions formed therein, the mounting portions having headrests detachably mounted thereto.
An user can attach the headrests to either one or both of the seat cushion and the seat back in correspondence to the position of the seat.